SrI UpakAra Sangraham -II (4)

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SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (4)

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SAdhanAdhikAram

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Section - 6 (4)

(Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means)

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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan referred

to “antima-pratyayam” -- the thought at the last

moment of breath. Barring the prapanna, the person who

has adopted prapaptti as the means, for other

upAsakas, like the bhakti-yOga nishta, the last

thought about the Lord is a must. Here, however, a

question arises: It has been laid down in the

scriptures that the last thought is very essential to

attain the desired goal after one’s death. Can it be

relaxed in the case of prapanna? If it is so, then the

scriptural stipulation would get corrupted. The doubt

about “antima-smriti” has been dealt with SwAmi

Desikan in SrImad-rahasyatraya-sAram in detail, in the

niryANAdikAram.

It may be recalled that one of the six doubts in the

mind of SrI rAmAnuja cleared by the Lord Varadaraja of

KAnchi through SrI Thirukacchi nambi related to this

“antima-smriti”. The Lord specifically stated that

this is not necessary for a person who has chosen

prapatti as the means.

The question that arose was whether the Lord would

undo the rule laid down by the Vedic Scripture? It is

a general belief that whatever stated in the scripture

is true and cannot be nullified. Hence, how is to

reconcile the word graced by the Lord?

An incident that happened, as recalled by SwAmi

Desikan, when SrI kooratthAzhvAn was in his last

moments. As his tongue was parched with fatigue and

unable to speak, he caught hold of SrI rAmAnuja’s

feet. At that time the AchArya whispered the Dvaya

Mantra in his ear. A couple of disciples who were

present there said amongst them with an agitated mind,

“How can we hope to get this blessing? What shall we

do?” SrI rAmAnuja, noticing their fears, told them,

“What I did was only like placing a piece of

sugar-candy in his mouth to make it wet. I did not

whisper the Dvaya in order to make the upAya complete

with its accessories (the last thought). The disciples

were relieved on hearing this.

Narrating this incident, SwAmi Desikan quotes from a

sloka from SrI VarAha PurANa:

“nShTasmrutirapi parityajan dEham” -- the man who has

performed prapatti, will attain mOkSha even if he dies

unconscious.

 

“sthitE manasi susvasthE shareerE sati yO narah /

dhAtu-sAMye sthitE smartA vishvaroopam ca mAmajam //

 

tatastam mriyamANam tu kAShTa-pAShANa-sannibham /

aham smarAmi madbhaktam nayAmi paramAm gathim //”

 

(When the mind is in its normal condition, when the

body is not shattered and when the elementary

constituents of the body (dAtu) are in perfect

condition, if a man meditates on me Who have the world

as My body and Who am not subject to births due to

karma, when that man lies like a log of wood or a

piece of stone in his dying moments, I think of my

devotee and lead him to attain the highest state.)

 

Besides these slOkas, SwAmi Desikan quotes from

PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi:

 

“thuppudaiyArai adaivathellAm cOrvidatthut

thuNaiyAvarenRE

oppilEnAkilum ninnadainthEn Anaikku nee

aruLceithamaiyAl

eyppu ennai vanthu naliyumpOthu angEthum nAnunnai

ninaikkamAttEn

appOthaikku ippOthE collivaitthEn arangattharavaNaip

paLLiyAnE!”

 

(PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-10-1)

 

(Oh Lord Who reposing on Adi shESha in SrIrangam, a

man seeks refuge under the strong persons in order

that he may obtain their support when he is in

distress; though I am not like Thy devotees who know

how to seek Thy help, yet I approach Thee, since Thou

were gracious even to the elephant (GajEndra); when

the tiredness comes at the my dying moment, I may not

be able to think of Thee. Therefore I entreat Thee now

itself that at that time, Thou should come to my

rescue.)

 

As stated in these quotes, for a prapanna, the last

thought about the Lord is not compulsory, clarifies

SwAmi Desikan.

 

In the sharaNAgati gadyam, the Lord tells SrIrAmAnuja:

At the time of casting the body away, you will in full

possession of your intelligence owing to my grace; you

will have a vision of Me and will have all your

previous memories and desires for mOkSha” This

statement too has to be interpreted in such a manner

that it does not contradict the verses just quoted.

The last remembrance comes as an upAya for those who

adopt bhakti as the means and it comes by their own

effort; but in the case of the prapanna, the

remembrance comes out of the Lord’s grace alone. When

speech and other activities have become impossible,

the remembrance which arises in the mind before the

mind too ceases to function -- this is the last

remembrance. Those who stand by cannot know it. SrI

BhAshyakAra’s commentary on the Brahma Sootra notes

thus:

“drushyatE hi vAgindriya uparatEpi manah pravruttih”

(SrIbhAShyam, 4-2-1) --

(It is seen that the mind functions even after the

senses have ceased to do so.) This means that the

mind’s functioning may be inferred by some sign or

other. It may also describe his experience in some

states of ill health and the like. Therefore, this

last remembrance is a thing that could be known only

to the man who becomes a mukta and to the Lord who

gives him mOkSha.

This has been stated by SwAmi Desikan himself in his

stOtra, SrI abheetistavam:

 

“sthitE manasi vigrahE guNini dhAtusAmyE sati

smarEdakhiladEhinam ya iha jAtucit tvAmajam /

tayaiva khal samdhaya tamatha deerghanidrAvasham

svayam vihita samsmrutirniryasi DHAma naih shREyasam”

 

 

(SrI abheetistavam, 6)

“maNNulakil evanumthan manam-nalla nilaikoNdu

meithAnum thidamAka mEnmaiyudan irukkaiyilE,

nannilaiyil udambiluLa narambadhi thAthukkaL

nanmuRaiyil iyangivarum nAtkaLilE enREnum,

eNNaRRa poruLanaitthil utpukuntha AnmAvAi

ERRamudaip piRappiliyAm unthannai orumuRaiyE

eNNuvanEl, anninaivai iRuthiyilE uNdAkki

ettariya mukthithanai eithividac cekinRAi!”

(Tamil version by the author)

 

(Oh SrIranganAtha! When a person who performs

prapatti while his mind and body are in a fit

condition remembering You Who is indwelling in all,

then it is You Who helps him to attain mukti, even as

his senses become inactive at the time of his death,

because of that remembrance only.)

Even in Bhakti-yOga, one has to resort to prapatti at

the Lord’s feet at several stages to tide over the

stumbling blocks. Hence, it is only with the help of

the Lord, he attains mukti. This favour of the Lord

has been indicated in the previous sub-section.

 

Now, in the present sub-section, Swami Desikan says

that the Lord does another favour by removing the

hindrances:

(4) ithaRku varum antarAyankaLai vilakkumathuvum;

 

The hindrances that stand in the way of attaining

mOkSha are avidyA (ignorance), karma and vAsana

(impressions left in the mind by karma in previous

births). These delays are due to the divine

chastisement against the individuals for their

omissions and commissions. The only remedy for these

hindrances is to obtain the favour of the Lord and

this can be done only by sharaNAgati, that is, self -

surrender to the Lord, as declared by SrIbhAshyakAra

in his SrIbhaShyam, “tasya ca vsheekaraNam

taccharaNAgatirEva.” (SrIbhAShyam,1-4-1)

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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